Living in the shadow of the 710

COMMERCE - Norma Macias has lived in the shadow of the Long Beach (710) Freeway her entire life.

"I've lived here forever," the school crossing guard said teary-eyed, adding that her parents first brought her from the hospital to the Sydney Drive house in which she still lives.

Now dozens of homes in Macias' neighborhood could be slated for demolition under proposed plans to expand the Long Beach (710) Freeway.

"Our house, as you can see, is in front of the 710, so the first house that's going to be hit will be this area here, Sydney Drive," she said. "They never denied that. From the get-go they said that Sydney has to go."

For 10 years, residents and business owners in Commerce, Bell and other cities bisected by the 710 have been fighting off expansion plans that threaten to mow down their properties.

Angelo Logan of the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, a community based organization that works in Commerce, East Los Angeles and Long Beach, was established to address the impacts of goods movements - rail, ports and the 710 Freeway.

"We've been working on the 710 project for the last 10 years (to) make sure it's a real improvement project, not just a project to accommodate port growth and the movement of containers," he said. "The alternatives that Caltrans has put out for selection do not reflect an improvement for the corridor communities. Specifically in the city of Commerce, there are options to eliminate close to 200 homes and we believe that's a major negative impact to the community."

The project also poses an ecological danger to the Los Angeles River, according to the group.

Logan said there is an alternative that East Yard plans to submit to Caltrans for consideration. Group members believe the plan will improve the health of the community and preserve homes.

The group's plan calls for no 710 widening, but instead pushes for a comprehensive public transit element, a committed zero emission freight corridor, river improvements, a public-private partnership employer-operated freight system, pedestrian and bicycle opportunities and community benefits such as expanded open space and other community enhancements.

"We do not need to expand the freeway to accommodate projected growth," Logan said. "We can do that with new technologies, public transit and new ways of moving both goods and people from places they need to go."